Catheters for the introduction or removal of fluids may be located in various venous locations and cavities throughout the body for the introduction or removal of such fluids. Such catheterization may be performed by using a single catheter having multiple lumens. A typical example of a multiple lumen catheter is a dual lumen catheter in which a first lumen introduces fluids and a second lumen removes fluids. These catheters are very useful for procedures such as hemodialysis, wherein blood is removed from a patient through the first lumen for processing in a hemodialysis machine, and the processed blood is returned to the patient through the second lumen. Alternatively, multiple catheters, each having a single lumen, may be inserted in multiple locations in the patient, such as in each femoral vein.
Catheters are manufactured in different sizes and from different materials depending on the circumstances of their use. For example, smaller catheters are used on smaller patients, and different materials may be used depending on whether the catheter is intended to be in the patient for a short period of time, such as several hours or days, or for an extended period of time, such as weeks or months.
Catheters typically include indicia printed on the extension tubes that provides vital information such as the size, priming volume, and recommended as well as contra-indicated cleaning solutions to use around the catheter entrance to the patient and other information related to care and maintenance of such catheters and extension tubes, and also for intravenous tubing. For example, some cleaning fluids can actually dissolve certain types of polyurethane materials from which some catheters are constructed. Text information is placed on the extension tubes to warn the user not to use such cleaning fluids.
The information printed on the extension tubes may vary depending on the intended catheter use. However, one drawback to this approach is that text size and clarity is limited, since the extension tubes are tubular and are typically translucent. Additionally, the text applied to the extension tubes is susceptible to rubbing off over time. Further, information such as priming volume may be printed on the catheter, such as on the extension tube. If a repair is necessary that requires a luer to be removed and a new, replacement luer installed onto the extension tube, the priming volume has changed, because the extension tube has been shortened as a result of the luer replacement. It would be desirable to provide a replaceable component with the catheter that can indicate the correct priming volume after such a replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,617 assigned to the assignee hereof, sets forth an advance over printing of such information directly on the flexible tubing, and discloses an information-bearing article for use with tubing such as a medical catheter and may be used in combination with a tubing clamp. The information-bearing article includes a ring-shaped body having an opening extending therethrough for receipt therethrough of the tubing. At least one of the opposed sides of the article has an enlarged generally planar outwardly facing surface that bears indicia thereon, such as printed or embossed indicia. Certain embodiments disclosed therein may be applied directly onto and along the flexible tubing. Other embodiments are disclosed that are adapted to be used in association with a certain well-known clamp member (a Roberts clamp) and are shaped and dimensioned to be nested within the skeletal structure of the clamp member as well as at least partially around the circumference of that length of flexible tubing extending between ends of the clamp member, and further adapted to permit the clamp member to be manipulated as desired between an unclamping state with respect to the flexible tubing and a clamping state wherein fluid flow through the tubing is occluded.
It is desired to provide an information-bearing article for use with a flexible conduit that is convenient to be placed onto the conduit and convenient to be removed therefrom.